Boba Fett: Backstage Politics
by NS7
Summary: It's the season premier of Star Wars: Boba Fett. Fett will decide the fate of a planet when he goes searching for Cruelos Koon in a tournament that will have him fight a Predator, Nemisis, Wolverine and the Terminator as guest stars. Seventh in the seri


Author's note. I did own them, I did. I owned them all. But they laughed at me, told me I was crazy in court, with Lucas who owns Fett and Capcom who owns Nemesis and Twentieth Century Fox who owns Predator. They said I was crazy and that THEY created these characters. Do you think it was the straight jacket that lost me the case?  
  
Oh, and a side note. See if you can catch the pun in the Wolgerane battle. Also, it appears that the Terminator's name was wrongly "written" in the preview. Turns out the magazine I used to confirm it was T-800 was wrong, and it is actually T-100, the Schwarzeneggar model. So, I apologize for any confusion, but I wanted to clear that up.  
  
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.  
  
STAR WARS  
  
BOBA FETT: EPISODE VII  
  
BACKSTAGE POLITICS  
  
After facing Asov Iramok, Boba Fett has learned the identity of the Lord of Lords to be Cruelos Koon. Speeding to Drallinia, Fett prepares to face off with Koon whose name has turned up registered in The Tournament.  
  
The Tournament is Drallinia's way of electing both a governmental system and leader. But, as Fett ponders why Koon would enter such a contest, the truth is far darker and more sinister, as the whole thing is a trap to kill the bounty hunter.  
  
Taking the Lord of Lords' place in The Tournament is one of his many devious henchmen, as he furthers his master's wishes. Boba Fett will have to face this opponent in The Tournament, but many are using it to further their own agendas, including the Lord of Lords.  
  
************************************************************************ The Slave IV descended Drallinia's atmosphere slowly, ready for anything. Boba Fett sat in the cockpit, working on the final adjustment for his new helmet. He was still working on repairing the antennae of his red one.  
  
A signal sounded and the bounty hunter flipped a switch. A screen lit up and was completely brown and strange. The camera's view zoomed out, revealing the face of an obviously annoyed Mon Calamari. Fett nearly laughed at whoever was handling the camera's incompetence.  
  
Sorall Gayord, current President of Drallinia. A Mon Calamari male, he was a politician of the Librely party, a democratic group that was considered the most popular of the political parties. With obvious reasons.  
  
The other parties were the Dominican, a caste/slavery system where the higher class had say over everything. Then there was the Imperonin, a dictatorship with any greedy tyrant as ruler. Needless to say, those didn't go over well with the lower class majority of the planet's population.  
  
Fighters fought to the death in a spectator filled arena to the death, representing a certain political affiliation. Whichever parties' fighter is the winner of The Tournament becomes the governing system of Drallinia for the next five years until the next Tournament.  
  
"Mr. Fett, my name is." the Mon Calamari began, but Fett cut him off.  
  
"I know who you are, Gayord. Speak your business." Fett demanded.  
  
Obviously taken aback, the Mon Calamari paused. Then he continued. "I wanted to welcome you to Drallinia, Mr. Fett, and humbly ask you enter The Tournament under the Librely banner."  
  
"What's in it for me?" Fett asked. "I have no concern for this planet's government. I do not abide by other people's law, only my own."  
  
"But you must. You capture those who break those laws. You must abide by them."  
  
"As I said, only my own. And I only enforce those laws. Then I get paid. Well."  
  
Gayord said nothing for a moment, and then smiled as best his species could. "I have contacts on Coruscant, Mr. Fett. I know you're looking for Cruelos Koon, and I know why you're here. Perhaps it would serve your purpose to enter The Tournament in order to face the imposter."  
  
"The imposter?" Fett asked.  
  
"Yes. You see, I once had the misfortune to meet Cruelos Koon in person when I was a fighter in The Tournament. Koon defeated me, but back then it wasn't to the death. He has sent a lackey to fight for him this time, under the Imperonin banner."  
  
Of course. It made since. If Cruelos won The Tournament, he would have the new ruler in his debt.  
  
"I also know where this imposter is coming from." Gayord said, interrupting Fett's calculations. "I make it a priority to know who's in The Tournament. I will tell you that information, as well as pay you four million Republic credits for your service."  
  
Fett thought a moment. "Who is it?" he asked.  
  
"That, I don't know." Gayord answered.  
  
"We have a deal."  
  
"Excellent!" Gayord yelled, elated. "This will guarantee our win at."  
  
"One more thing that I require, Gayord." Fett said.  
  
"Yes?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"I will kill this impersonator. But after that, I will find out who it is. Then, after you have completed your end, I will leave. If you betray my trust, I will kill you. And not even the Lord of Lords will be able to stop that. I'll be arriving in two standard hours." ************************************************************************  
  
The Slave IV had landed on the docking-bay near the capital building in Corysth, the capital of Drallinia.  
  
Gayord had met Fett when he landed with a payload of guards. They escorted him into the building, but Fett didn't take his finger off the trigger. ************************************************************************  
  
"The Tournament is tomorrow at dawn." Sorall Gayord said, sitting in his chair. Fett declined the chair he was offered and continued to stand. The bounty hunter kept his blaster ready and in the general direction of Gayord's assistant, who, for some unnamed reason, alerted Fett's instincts. She had yet given him a reason to be cautious, but Boba Fett did not survive this long by not obeying his gut feelings.  
  
The secretary, named Koari, according to Gayord, was a native from Drallinia and was his most trusted employee. Fett scanned her image and ran it through countless on-board databases, but hadn't found a match. Yet.  
  
The microcomputer in his helmet would continue scanning until it either found a match or exhausted all databases it could search.  
  
The blonde woman smiled slightly at Fett, then quickly stopped.  
  
Fett made no movement or noise in response. ************************************************************************  
  
The Tournament was about to begin. Boba Fett stood in a line of fighters representing the Librely.  
  
The other parties were there as well for this "opening ceremony".  
  
The ring announcer's began to name and briefly introduce the combatants, but few struck Fett as a danger.  
  
They started with the Dominican. Fett regarded them as they each stepped forward when their name was called.  
  
"Nemyzis." The announcer called, and a tall being answered. It was well over three meters tall and wore a black coat. It had tentacles protruding from it's shoulders and only one sickly glowing yellow eye. Where the other should have been was only a scar with large staples. It looked like some kind of abomination put together by a mad scientist.  
  
"Wolgerane." A short, stocky man stepped up and raised his arm. Something about his stature made Fett wary. He was confident. The kind where the being could actually back it up.  
  
The announcer continued, but only a twi' lek with a large laser cannon attached to his left arm seemed dangerous. His name was Jerohmma.  
  
The introductions shifted to the Imperonin.  
  
"TX-terminator." The announcer continued. A humanoid droid stepped forward. It had glowing red eyes and a gleaming, silver body. It's metallic teeth reflected the glare of the sun.  
  
"Prejador." A two-meter tall reptilian looking creature walked forward. It's face was hidden behind an intimidating mask. It had long dreadlocks and a laser cannon on it's left shoulder.  
  
"Cruelos Koon." That name got Fett's undivided attention.  
  
A man stepped forward.  
  
He had Imperial snowtrooper armor with blaster barrels on his forearms and a blaster rifle connected to his backpack.  
  
It was the Survivor, Callahan Gorn.  
  
Boba Fett locked eyes with the Survivor underneath his helmet, and the two continued to stare each other down until the Librely was introduced, then Fett. The bounty hunter stepped forward, not looking away from Gorn, even as the entire arena's crowd erupted in applause to his name. ************************************************************************  
  
Boba Fett stood fifty yards away from Nemyzis. The tall goliath stared at him with it's one glowing yellow eye. Fett couldn't believe he had to face this monster first. It was pure coincidence.  
  
He wasn't afraid or intimidated, just cautious.  
  
A loud signal sounded, and the two combatants raced towards each other, ready for anything they could throw at each other.  
  
Or so Fett thought.  
  
Out of nowhere, Nemyzis brought out a large heavy repeating blaster rifle and shot hundreds of large bolts at Fett.  
  
Fett used his jetpack to strafe to the right and behind a large stone pillar in the middle of the arena. With his back to the barrier, the spectators cried out warnings, advice, curses, praises and just plain screams. Fett ignored them and unclipped a thermal charge from his belt. His scanners told him Nemyzis' position and Boba Fett lobbed it over his shoulder and over the pillar.  
  
His aim was impeccable. The charge landed immediately behind the giant. Nemyzis flew forward, propelled by the explosion, into the pillar that hid Fett.  
  
Hard.  
  
The bounty hunter spun around the pillar and aimed at the baldhead. Before he could fire, Nemyzis' large left hand flew out and caught Fett in the gut.  
  
The bounty hunter cursed as he felt ribs bruise under the blow.  
  
Nemyzis continued with an uppercut with his palm, swatting Fett up and away. Boba Fett landed on his back and his opponent stalked forward.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Callahan Gorn refused to believe it. He was aware Fett would arrive, but this Nemyzis creature was putting Fett on the defensive.  
  
Unbelievable.  
  
************************************************************************ Fett lay on the ground, unable to move, pinned down by Nemyzis' large, booted foot. Nemyzis leaned down and opened and closed it's sharp, jagged teeth. It struck Fett then that the bastard giant had yet to say anything.  
  
Fett needed an answer. Nemyzis swung it's large blaster rifle so that it aimed at Fett's helmet.  
  
The coat. Nemyzis was wearing a coat. Maybe it could be burned. But Fett needed both hands to activate his flamethrower. But not his wrist lasers. Boba Fett pressed the firing sensors at the bases of his gloves. Surprised by the sudden laser shot, Nemyzis let up it's leg just a small amount. With enough room to maneuver, the bounty hunter activated his flamethrower and burned the bottom of Nemyzis' coat.  
  
Nemyzis stumbled back and Fett got to his feet. He shot off two knee darts that hit their targets and blew away Nemyzis' knees and all below.  
  
As the creature tried to get up, Fett calmly walked over to it.  
  
"That should have killed you," he said, raising his blaster to aim it at Nemyzis' head.  
  
The creature finally made a noise. It roared in defiance as tentacles shot out of what had just been it's legs. The tentacles seemed to intertwine into the shape of legs, and slowly it got to it's "feet". It was back to it's full height.  
  
"Boba Fett." it hissed.  
  
Fett raised his right gauntlet and fired off a small barrage of darts. They all hit and released toxins into it's blood stream. Various parts of the creatures' body expanded and exploded outwards.  
  
Chunks missing, bloody, coat on fire, legs replaced by tentacles, it stalked forward.  
  
And Boba Fett stood his ground.  
  
************************************************************************ A hooded spectator watched this all. Boba Fett was showing remarkable courage against the seemingly unstoppable giant. Perhaps Fett would make it to the finals after all. ************************************************************************  
  
Nemyzis was twenty feet away and Fett tossed a small cube at the giant's feet. Nemyzis ignored it. There was a hum and the device exploded, sending sparks and electricity everywhere, coursing through Nemyzis' body, stunning him. Fett brought out the lightsaber Horoma gave him and activated it. The blue blade of energy sprung out and Fett activated his jetpack.  
  
It seemed like slow motion as Fett flew at Nemyzis and lopped off it's head, but Fett didn't stop there. He twisted his arms to make a vertical slice and cut down through the large body by deactivating his jetpack.  
  
Fett landed on the ground and waited for the two sides to split apart and hit the ground before he hooked the lightsaber back onto his belt and walked out of the arena. ************************************************************************  
  
One down. The spectator in the hood thought. How many more to go? And, thinking about the upcoming carnage, the spectator smiled in his mask underneath his hood. ************************************************************************  
  
The fights continued. Callahan Gorn, the Survivor, fought an armored Nikto. The Nikto didn't stand a chance.  
  
T-800 X-Terminator fought a deranged human, which was nothing short of a slaughter.  
  
Wolgerane showed his real weapons. Three claws protruded from his knuckles at will on both hands. His opponent, a winged alien Fett didn't recognize, learned this the hard way. Through it's neck.  
  
Prejador had some similar abilities, but Boba Fett had no doubt it had more tricks up it's sleeve as it completely manhandled a full grown and fully armed wookie. ************************************************************************  
  
"The next round will be different.  
  
"Two fighters will be escorted to a dome with an artificial jungle as an arena." The announcer felt it appropriate to create some sort of tension. Boba Fett listened intently as he waited for the beginning signal. He still didn't know who his opponent was yet.  
  
"Here, in the Agradome, two hunters will track each other down and fight, to the death. One, representing the Librely, Boba Fett!" Fett could hear the crowd cheer from inside the enclosed dome.  
  
"His opponent, representing an unknown species, he lives for the hunt and is a member of the Imperonin, Prejador!"  
  
The signal sounded, and Boba Fett ran into the jungle. ************************************************************************  
  
It had been three minutes and there was no sign of Prejador. Boba Fett sat in a tree, motionless, waiting.  
  
The bounty hunter held his blaster rifle in one hand and the other held onto the tree for support.  
  
There. Fett saw movement below him, at a bush. But there was nothing there. He zoomed in and looked harder. Still nothing.  
  
Something caught his eye. Three red dots appeared on the tree limb next to him, and the slowly moved over and onto his chest. He didn't wait to find out what they were.  
  
Boba Fett fell forward and off the tree limb. A bright, burning burst of bluish white energy flew where he had just been.  
  
He felt the heat through his armor but ignored it.  
  
He landed on his feet and took off running. No time to look for his attacker.  
  
No. His opponent.  
  
There was a shimmer to his left and a small click. Boba Fett dove forward out of instinct and dozens of small, needle like projectiles flew over him.  
  
A small arrow, shaped like a crude Y, shot into him, getting stuck in the first layers of his chest armor.  
  
Boba Fett got to his feet and ran into the foliage. ************************************************************************  
  
After running for two minutes, the bounty hunter stopped to consider his strategy.  
  
This creature was definitely fast, well armed and intelligent. Might even possess some sort of biological camouflage. He seemed to be damn near invisible. This would make things difficult. ************************************************************************  
  
Prejador stood where the Prey had hid.  
  
The tall creature looked at the imprint the Prey had made when it landed. Judging by it's apparent weight and how fast it was moving, the Prey must be in good physical condition.  
  
Not to mention reflexes. Prejador hadn't seen anyone move that fast. This Prey's head would make a nice trophy. ************************************************************************  
  
Nothing.  
  
Boba Fett ran the recorded image of Prejador from the introductions through every miniature database he had in his helmet and nothing. This truly was a new creature. But why was it such an efficient hunter?  
  
And more importantly, where had it come from?  
  
Boba Fett plucked the arrow from his chest plate and placed it into a belt pouch. ************************************************************************  
  
Boba Fett walked through the jungle, his audio sensors on their fullest. If a trigger was squeezed a click away, he'd hear it.  
  
So far, he hadn't made a sound.  
  
*Snap*  
  
But something else did.  
  
Boba Fett whirled around and fired his flamethrower at everything behind him.  
  
No. It's too easy. No hunter would make the rookie mistake of stepping on a stick. Fett turned around in time to see a shimmer. But it was getting closer, charging at him.  
  
Then it stopped. It was there, just unmoving.  
  
Fett changed his helmet's spectrum and saw the Prejador. It must have been some sort of electrical camouflage. But why had it stopped? It looked around, then slowly backed away. It got behind bushes and was gone.  
  
Boba Fett didn't understand.  
  
He hadn't made a sound, and the creature didn't smell him due to the olfactory device Fett installed in his jetpack to cover his smell.  
  
The bounty hunter looked at his HUD.  
  
Boba Fett understood. ************************************************************************  
  
Prejador was furious. By how still he was, an observer wouldn't have been able to tell.  
  
The Prey seemed to know the art of the hunt. It had figured out his trick very quickly.  
  
And on top of that, the Prey had figured out one of his greatest strengths and weaknesses.  
  
No matter.  
  
If Prejador couldn't out-hunt or out-smart the Prey, he'd out-fight it. He pulled out a pole that extended into a spear. ************************************************************************  
  
Boba Fett cut away at the trunk of a tree with the lightsaber. When it was nearly cut, Fett stopped and put away the saber. The tree would stand, but it would not take much for it to topple.  
  
He placed a thermal charge in between rocks on top of a hill. Then he set it to remote.  
  
He walked to a pile of dead brush and lit it afire with his flamethrower.  
  
Fett removed his jetpack and placed it by the bases of a few trees. He opened a maintenance panel and crossed a few wires.  
  
When he was done, he hid. And waited. ************************************************************************  
  
The Prejador could not believe it. The Prey had started a small fire in what he believed to be a small clearing in the jungle. Surely it had figured how he saw. Or had it?  
  
No, it most definitely had. This was a message. This was a calling.  
  
This was a challenge. ************************************************************************  
  
The Prejador walked slowly to the fire. This would be where the Prey would be, probably waiting in ambush.  
  
Then where was it?  
  
Prejador picked up on a few scant heat signatures but ignored them. This creature was intelligent. The Evil Dark was correct. This Prey would be hard to kill. After this "hunt" was over, he'd kill the Evil Dark. No one threatens the Hunt. No one. ************************************************************************  
  
Boba Fett watched the Prejador from his hiding place. It was obviously aware of his presence, but was still unsure of his exact location.  
  
The time was now.  
  
"On." Fett said in a quiet tone.  
  
The Prejador turned in his direction at the noise, but the verbal command kicked in and the bounty hunter's jetpack activated.  
  
There was a loud explosion and debris and tree limbs flew everywhere as the jetpack burst in flames due to Fett's tampering.  
  
Using the distraction to it's fullest; Fett emerged from his spot and charged at the creature. As it turned back in Fett's direction, it caught the bounty hunter's steel-toed boot in the gut. It just snarled and backhanded the bounty hunter.  
  
There was a sickening click as two curved, deranged looking blades popped out of the Prejador's wrist gauntlet. It thrust forward and the Mandalorian tried to dodge the blow, but the blades sunk into his shoulder.  
  
Fett grunted and was pushed back by the impact. Prejador removed the blades and arced his arm for another blow. Boba Fett put all his strength into a right hook that caught the creature square in the mask and staggered it. Fett got to his feet and ran. ************************************************************************  
  
The Prejador could not believe this. They Prey had been giving him an excellent struggle, and now it ran. Perhaps it would not be so fine a trophy after all. ************************************************************************  
  
The Prejador followed him, and Fett silently calculated his plan. As the two ran past the hill, Fett hit a button on his right gauntlet.  
  
There was an explosion above and a loud rumble. Prejador looked up but Fett kept running.  
  
Rocks and boulders rolled down the hill, directly at the alien. When the rumble stopped, Fett turned to look at the damage.  
  
All that could be seen of the Prejador was one arm sticking out of the rubble. But slowly, rocks began to move as the creature underneath emerged.  
  
Prejador was breathing heavily and his mask was cracked. Fett looked at it and turned around. The creature must have found this disrespectful as it gave a loud roar.  
  
Boba Fett just ran.  
  
And Prejador followed. ************************************************************************  
  
The hooded spectator watched intently as Boba Fett ran. Could this really be him? The bounty hunter he was most concerned with? He was smart and crafty, but appeared cowardly.  
  
But the hooded spectator knew better. He knew that running didn't make you a coward if it was part of the plan. ************************************************************************  
  
Boba Fett saw the tree. His tree. Prejador was close behind. Just close enough. Fett shot wrist lasers into the base of the tree as he ran past it. It creaked and cracked as it began to fall.  
  
Onto Prejador.  
  
Fett stopped and waited. He wasn't surprised when there was a loud thump. It was silent a moment, and then Prejador pushed the trunk over and off of him, though it had to weight thousands.  
  
Fett just stood there. There was nowhere else to go. It was time to fight.  
  
Prejador must have realized this as he, too, just stood there. Slowly, he took off his wrist gauntlets and dropped them to the ground.  
  
Fett nodded and unplugged the control cables from his own.  
  
Prejador continued and removed its weapons, including his shoulder cannon. Then, cautiously, he removed two hoses from the side of his mask, then the mask itself. It was definitely alien. His had a rigid forehead and four tusks protruding from the corners of his mouth.  
  
His reached down and grabbed his wrist blades and stabbed himself in the shoulder.  
  
He was making it completely equal.  
  
Fett reached up, and with out being sure why, he decided to play by the creature's rules. To his own astonishment, he snapped off his antenna. Then he threw down the lightsaber and blaster pistol he kept in his belt.  
  
Prejador bought out a staff that telescoped into a spear. With the press of a button, it parted in half and the alien tossed one half to the hunter.  
  
The bounty hunter caught it and steadied himself.  
  
Prejador lunged forward and swung his half down in a vertical swipe and Fett swung his half to knock it away. Prejador tried again, this time with a horizontal swing but Fett held his like a pole to block it, then let go with one hand so that the spear's kinetic energy caused it to smack into the Prejador's face.  
  
The tall creature stumbled back a few steps, then regained his composure and readied for another strike.  
  
Fett moved first. The bounty hunter knelt and swung at Prejador's ankles to trip him. The alien jumped over it and swung down with his spear at Fett's head. Fett cocked his head to the side and the spear half struck his shoulder, then Prejador jerked his wrist so that his half smacked into the side of Fett's helmet.  
  
Fett fell to the side as a result but found his opening and poked his half into Prejador's exposed side. Prejador howled in pain and fell to his knees. Fett stood up and with all his might, swung his half down so that it hit Prejador's forehead with its side. With a loud *thud*, Prejador slumped to the ground.  
  
And Boba Fett walked away. ************************************************************************  
  
The crowd went wild. They loved it. The violence, the blood.  
  
Prejador was taken away and reports said that he would recover fully. Fett was actually glad. The alien had put up a good challenge. He would be a good bounty hunter, should such a profession exist in his culture.  
  
The hooded spectator in the crowd, however, had other things on his mind. He glared out of the hood with glowing red eyes and a few citizens that sat next to him noticed and scooted away.  
  
The hooded spectator made a note of Prejador's failure and promised to follow through with his threat. Prejador's home world would be without non- sentient life. It was the ultimate punishment for a species that considers the hunt sacred. ************************************************************************  
  
The Survivor won his second match as well. It was an assassin droid with a sense of individualism. ************************************************************************  
  
Boba Fett had some time before his next match, so he made a visit to the Slave IV to retrieve am operational helmet. He set the antennae and the helmet down next to the helmet with the blue visor.  
  
He reached over and picked up his father's helmet. ************************************************************************  
  
A gladiatorial arena. A fake jungle. And now, a fake city.  
  
Boba Fett stood in an alleyway. It was he against T-800 X-terminator. The android was somewhere in the false city as well, presumably on its way to Fett's location.  
  
Boba Fett ran into the city blocks, searching for his new opponent.  
  
His opponent found him first.  
  
X-terminator appeared out of nowhere with a strange looking blaster but when the droid fired, projectiles zoomed past, seemingly from everywhere.  
  
The bounty hunter dove to his left and fired his blaster rifle at the droid, but the bolts just bounced off. A small explosion erupted a few feet from him. A charge of some kind. X-terminator must have predicted his movements and placed it either earlier or thrown it before it had attacked.  
  
Fett aimed and fired again, this time at the droid's head. Again, the bolts just glanced off. Fett swore and fired a rocket at the humanoid machination. The explosive tip rocked X-terminator back, but only by a few feet and left only a dent.  
  
And X-terminator kept coming.  
  
One of X-terminator's projectiles hit the left chest plate and dented it. At least they didn't go through his armor, but the still bruised. Fett ignored the pain. His nerves were removed enough so that the pain was dulled, not eliminated.  
  
"Target acquired. You are the entity Boba Fett, human. Male. Eye color: Unknown. Hair color: Unknown. Height, weight, complexion, age, race, home world: Unknown. Last reported location: Drallinia. Weapons of choice: Modified Mandalorian super commando armor, Blastech EE-3 rifle. Vehicle of choice: Firespray class starship designated Slave IV. Level: Extremely dangerous. Objective: Termination."  
  
After this unemotional statement of both facts and intentions, Fett realized two things. One, he was being set up. This droid had been sent to kill him. And two, it would be a fight to the bitter end. With that in mind, Fett thought it was a shame to destroy such a well-crafted assassin droid.  
  
X-terminator just stood there, waiting. Fett followed suite, perplexed. He bent his elbow so he could rest his rifle on his shoulder. "You're giving me a chance to surrender?" he asked.  
  
The droid stood still but answered; "Negative. You are not to be brought in alive. You are designated for termination."  
  
Fett nodded. "As you wish." ************************************************************************  
  
What were they waiting for? The Survivor couldn't understand why X- terminator was just standing there talking and why Fett was standing there listening.  
  
"Fight already!" he yelled in his private chamber. ************************************************************************  
  
The droid had yet to move after Fett had issued his challenge. He took a step back experimentally and the droid took one step forward. He stepped forward twice and the droid did not move.  
  
"You'll chase me but not attack?" he asked.  
  
"Affirmative. I am receiving new orders." the droid answered.  
  
Fett twitched slightly. Orders. the game was rigged. Fett activated his comlink jammer. "Enough of this." He barked and fired off a full barrage of rockets, the force of which was enough to knock it off it's feet... The droid stood back up and fired with it's projectile guns. Fett was ready this time. He dodged to his right, and then made charged the droid.  
  
Fett fired, as he got close, hoping their proximity would change the blaster's effect. There was none. The droid dropped it's guns and grabbed Fett by the throat. Fett gasped for air. Not even his encounters with Sith had this much choking power. Fett reached into his belt for an answer and found one. The arrow from Prejador. The bounty hunter exposed the arrow and shoved the two points deep into X-terminator's red optical units.  
  
X-terminator's grip loosened and Fett fell to his feet and backed away. The droid reached up and pulled the arrow from it's metallic skull. A buzzing sound was made, as a third optical sensor was exposed ion X- terminator's forehead. Fett examined the damage the arrow had done to the red optical sensors and Fett knew how to defeat the droid. Fett raised his blaster rifle and fired two shots. One into each "eye".  
  
X-terminator stopped. The glass covering the sensors was completely gone. Boba Fett raised his left arm and readied two rockets. X-terminator realized what was about to happen and merely said; "I'll be back."  
  
"I'll be ready." Was all Fett said before he fired. The two rockets screamed into the holes and exploded, sending pieces of X-terminator's skull everywhere.  
  
"Winner," the announcer said. "Boba Fett." ************************************************************************  
  
"What happened out here?" Fett demanded, bursting into Gayord's pirvate skybox.  
  
"What are you talking about?" the Mon Calamari asked, putting out his palms to signify his confusion.  
  
Fett raised his Blastech at the President and Koari began to step forward, but Fett pulled out a blaster pistol and aimed it at her head. "Don't move." He ordered. "The X-terminator was getting orders out on the field. He was being commanded. And they weren't about killing me, so someone's calling the shots and I want to know whom."  
  
"Oh my," Gayord said, completely forgetting about the rifle. Fett shoved it forward and into his face, ending that quickly. "How could this be? Why would anyone want their fighter to do anything but win? He asked.  
  
"That's what you are going to find out." Fett said.  
  
"Do you actually think it was me?" Gayord asked.  
  
Fett just stood there a moment before replying; "Find out what's going on. I don't like not knowing who my enemies are." Fett said, then left.  
  
"You have no idea." Koari said under her breath.  
  
"Did you say something?" Gayord asked her.  
  
"Not at all." ************************************************************************  
  
Later that day, the semi-finals were about to take place.  
  
Boba Fett stood in the dusty middle of the arena. The walls were covered with the dry blood of those before him that was splattered on the walls. The remains of those who he had defeated were there as well.  
  
His opponent stood at the other end of the arena, and he pushed up his dark hair into the two ridges Fett had noticed before.  
  
The man lowered his fists and claws slid out from between his knuckles.  
  
The beginning signal sounded and Wolgerane charged forward. Fett shot the other human in the forehead and he fell to the ground.  
  
No, it couldn't be that easy.  
  
It wasn't. Wolgerane propped himself up on his elbows and shook his head to clear it. The blaster mark on his forehead than healed in front of Fett's eyes.  
  
Having seen enough, Fett assaulted Wolgerane's position with as many blaster bolts as possible. Wolgerane took them in stride and kept coming.  
  
Fett stepped back but Wolgerane lunged forwards and lopped the blaster rifle into pieces. Fett jerked his hands and his father's blaster pistols flew out of their holsters and into his hands with the magnets in his gloves.  
  
Boba Fett fired at the stocky human, but again the bolts healed immediately. Fett flew up and over Wolgerane and shot the abnormal human in the back of the head. Wolgerane fell forward and onto his face. He rolled over and Fett shot a poison dart into his neck, but the toxins had no effect.  
  
"You should be dead." Fett said dryly.  
  
"You're the one who's dead, Buba." Wolgerane said.  
  
"We shall see." Fett said, igniting his flamethrower.  
  
Wolgerane just ran through the flames at Fett. He slashed out with his left fist and sliced Fett's chest armor. Fett shot his opponents neck and hit the windpipe, stunning him. Wolgerane fell to his knees, grasping his neck. Fett kicked him in the chin with his steel-toed boots.  
  
As the freak human reeled in pain, Fett dropped his pistols and brought out the lightsaber. The bounty hunter tried to chop the man in half, but Wolgerane shifted and Fett's attack went to his left. Wolgerane slashed and cut Fett's forearm.  
  
Blood gushed from the wound, but Fett didn't even notice. He reached in and got a thermal detonator from his belt. This was going to be risky, but if it worked, Fett would be rid of this menace. He charged Wolgerane and ducked just as claws slashed where his head had been. Fett cut open his chest and before the wound could heal, Fett thrust the detonator through the cauterized flesh and let it go.  
  
Fett jumped back and flew backwards as Wolgerane's wound healed. Wolgerane felt something wrong and went to retrieve the detonator, but the wound had already healed completely. He looked at Fett and snarled before he cut himself open to get the detonator, but it was too late. With a *beep*, the detonator exploded and pieces went everywhere. Fett put away the lightsaber and walked away. ************************************************************************  
  
Boba Fett waited for the next and final round inside a tunnel that led to the arena. It was him against the Survivor, Callahan Gorn. Gayord walked up behind Fett, but the bounty hunter made no movements.  
  
"We need to talk." the Mon Calamari said. "I know who was controlling the droid. It was me."  
  
Fett slowly turned his helmet to the President, then his hand shot out and wrapped his hand around the alien's neck.  
  
"Wait, Fett! You must- Gak!- understand- gasp - it was business. I'm offering you a twenty-five million!" At the mention of so many credits, Fett released his vice grip slightly. "Plus the two from before." With that, Fett completely let go of the Mon Calamari's neck.  
  
"I hired you because I knew I could get your help. I've been in talks with the Imperonin and the remnants of the Trade Federation. They wish to "purchase" this planet and all of its citizens for slave labor and test subjects. They're offering me sixty million credits to rig the matches so that the Imperonin win, and they'll sell the planet to them.  
  
"Your opponent, the Survivor, is in league with us. All you have to do is loose and I'll pay you twenty-seven million credits, plus the information you need. It's a win-win situation for you, Fett." The Mon Calamari said.  
  
Fett walked out into the arena. "Not for the people on this planet." He grumbled, uncharacteristically for him. ***********************************************************************  
  
The Survivor stood and waited as well. He and the bounty hunter stared at each other from their helmets from across the arena.  
  
"Here we go, ladies and gentlemen! The final match up that will decide what happens to our fair planet! There's Boba Fett, fighting for the Librely, and Cruelos Koon for the Imperonin! Rumor has it, Koon is indeed the Survivor, a dread mercenary. If this is true, then there may be some bad blood between these two, according to reports that they've been at each other's throats lately. What will happen next? Who will win? What will happen to Drallinia?" ************************************************************************  
  
Boba Fett ignored the ramblings of the announcer. He was focused upon his opponent, the Survivor. He used his internal comlink to patch through to the former Snowtrooper.  
  
"You know about the deal?" Fett asked.  
  
Callahan Gorn was not surprised by Fett's intrusion into his helmet. He had expected it.  
  
"Yeah. So tell me, Fett, how much are you getting out of this deal?"  
  
"None of your concern." Was Fett's reply.  
  
"Come on, now. You can tell me. One gun-for-hire to another. I'm getting fifteen million." The Survivor said almost warmly.  
  
"Twenty-seven." Fett said, mainly to get under his opponent's skin.  
  
"Huh. Figures you'd get paid more. So, we doing this or what? Don't worry, my blasters are all set to stun. If you want, I can 'miss' and hit a viewer and you can check their vitals."  
  
"That is unnecessary. I can gauge the power levels of your weapons. You are being truthful.  
  
"Tell me, Callahan. What do you think about the people who live on this planet? The people the Trade Federation will kill in their experiments and in their slave labor worksites?"  
  
"To me, everyone on this stinking planet is nothing but fifteen million credits. Nothing more, nothing less. Well, more for you, I guess." The Survivor answered.  
  
"Indeed." The bounty hunter replied.  
  
The starting signal sounded and the two combatants started towards each other. The Survivor raised his two Imperial blaster rifles. They weren't the standard Stormtrooper E-11 ones, but the longer and more powerful ones used by garrisons.  
  
Fett leveled his blaster and fired, missing on purpose.  
  
"I see you've agreed to the deal." Gorn said gleefully. He fired and missed as well.  
  
"Let me hit you. It'll be more convincing." Fett said over their link.  
  
"Got it, left leg." The Survivor answered and dove behind a pillar, making sure his left leg was open for Fett to shoot. A bolt scorched his leg and he howled in pain. "That's not on stun!" he yelled. "You idi-" he began, but stopped in mid-word, realization hitting him.  
  
"I know." The connection severed.  
  
A small explosion rocked the pillar and the Survivor stood on his burning leg. "Bastard!" he yelled.  
  
Fett flew over the pillar and turned 180 degrees in air so that he faced it as he descended. He fired his rifle, walking the bolts to the Survivor's head. The Survivor activated his boot jets and flew forward and under Fett, landing in a summersault. When he was 90 degrees into the roll, he let loose with his rifles. A bolt hit Fett's right shoulder and the bounty hunter dropped to the dusty ground.  
  
Boba Fett dropped his rifle as his arm began to twitch. The Survivor hadn't turned his blasters off of stun yet. That had to be what he was doing now that he had a chance. Fett used his incredible will power to push away the stun-effects and retrieved his blaster from the ground and spun to face the White Ghost.  
  
The two masked men stared at each other from across the arena, the planet's fate hanging in the balance. ************************************************************************  
  
The spectator watched with mixed emotions. He was overjoyed with the way things were going. His plans were taking shape. And yet he was angered at the same time that Fett had not taken the bribe. It meant the bounty hunter could not be paid off and would likely be in this till the end.  
  
Finally, given over to anger, the spectator reached out with the Force and choked various members of the audience in random places, as not to direct attention to himself.  
  
Cruelos Koon, the Lord of Lords, stood and left the arena. He knew the outcome of the match. ************************************************************************  
  
The Survivor moved first. He activated his boot jets and launched into a flip, firing his rifles along the way.  
  
Boba Fett jerked to the left, then to the right to avoid some close shots. Fett returned fire, but his first volley went just under the Survivor's back when he was parallel to the ground. The second volley scorched the top of the Survivor's helmet.  
  
"You left me to be eaten alive!" the White Ghost yelled. Boba Fett heard the scream with his helmet's sensors.  
  
"Would you rather have been cooked?" Fett asked. The Survivor landed and Fett tossed a thermal charge at his feet. The former Snowtrooper jumped back, but the small explosion knocked the rifles from his hands.  
  
Boba Fett drooped his rifle and charged at the Survivor, bringing out his lightsaber. The Survivor stood, and then lunged to the left to avoid the saber.  
  
Which was what Boba Fett wanted.  
  
Fett sliced of the E-11 attached to his opponent's backpack. The Survivor twirled around and blasted off on his boot jets, facing Fett and firing his forearm lasers.  
  
A grave mistake, as this was what Fett had again been hoping for. The bounty hunter aimed and fired his wrist lasers so that they took out the jets on the boots. Without further propulsion, the former Snowtrooper fell to the ground. He had time to fire six shots before he hit the ground. Hard.  
  
When he didn't get up, Boba Fett walked away the winner. ************************************************************************  
  
Once again, Boba Fett burst into the president's skybox. The president, Gayord, instantly shrank back into his chair.  
  
"Now wait, Fett. I'll still pay you-" he started, but was cut off when Fett aimed his rifle at him.  
  
"Cruelos Koon. Where is he." Fett said, more of an order than a question.  
  
"He won't tell you," Koari said, walking up beside Fett. "They're in league." She finished.  
  
There was a sound in Fett's helmet. His scan of Koari found a match. A claimed bounty, more than fifty years old.  
  
Komari Vosa.  
  
Fett spun around to fire at the woman, but she jumped over him and behind Gayord. With a quick stab of a produced lightsaber, the President fell silent.  
  
"Now he won't tell anyone anything." She said with a wicked smile.  
  
Fett fired at her, but she jumped backwards and out of the window. Fett ran to in and looked out in time to see her run off through the arena's tunnels. ***********************************************************************  
  
Boba Fett spent the next twenty minutes looking for the Sith Clone, but found no trace of her. Once again he was at a loss for the location of the Lord of Lords. But he would find him. The fate of the galaxy rested on his hands. He would have to fight this battle to the end.  
  
He would find Cruelos Koon. ************************************************************************  
  
Well, there you have it. An explosive and action packed season premier for Star Wars: Boba Fett. Expect a lot more.  
  
But still, Fett's going to need help if he plans on putting a damper on Koon's plans, some of which will begin to be revealed in the upcoming episodes. Question is, who's skilled enough to partake in such a hazardous mission? Horoma Fisto, Dengar, Lar-rah Groph and the next major character, Prejador! They'll be joined by Noval Gariant and some new characters! Here's a scene of the next episode, when the good guys and bad guys face off.  
  
Boba Fett stood next to Groph and Dengar. He couldn't believe his eyes. On the screen in front of him, the Jedis and mercenaries hired by the New Republic were being slaughtered by their Sithoids and mercenaries hired no doubt by Koon.  
  
Two familiar faces appeared. Luam H'trad and the Survivor. He had lived up to his name again. Fett would have to deal with him personally. But another face appeared. Suonaryt, the clone of Darth Tyranus.  
  
Uh-oh. Three bad guys? Nope, that's not all! Fett will face foes from his past and tragedy will strike the galaxy! Fett and Groph will reveal their feelings for each other and a personal loss will occur, along with sop much more, next time on Star Wars: Boba Fett: Chaos Before the Storm! 


End file.
